VA Disability Ratings Guidance to help your claims.

Expert guidance for VA disability ratings, including VA ratings for IBS, GERD, PTSD, Tinnitus, and more.

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New essential guides to help you understand your benefits for all kinds of VA disability ratings.
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Is IBS Presumptive, over a photo of a lamplit desk at night with deployment orders, a service records folder and a folded desert camouflage cap

IBS

Is IBS a Presumptive Condition? The Rules Made Simple

Is IBS a presumptive condition? Yes for Gulf War veterans and former POWs held 30 days, no on the PACT Act burn pit list. Here is each route and its proof.
VA Secondary Conditions to IBS, over a photo of an older woman veteran at her kitchen table with a hand on her abdomen and medical paperwork in front of her

IBS

VA Secondary Conditions to IBS: The Practical Truth

VA secondary conditions to IBS include hemorrhoids, sphincter impairment, anemia and depression. See the codes, ratings and evidence each claim needs.
Banner-style image showing the text 'IBS Secondary to PTSD' on a dark blue panel, with a person reading documents at a desk in a dimly lit room.

IBS, PTSD

IBS Secondary to PTSD: VA Rating Criteria and Evidence

IBS secondary to PTSD: the three things the record must show, the 10, 20 and 30 percent criteria under DC 7319, and what a reasoned opinion includes.
IBS VA Rating Articles
Practical guides to help you understand IBS VA Ratings.
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Is IBS Presumptive, over a photo of a lamplit desk at night with deployment orders, a service records folder and a folded desert camouflage cap

IBS

Is IBS a Presumptive Condition? The Rules Made Simple

Is IBS a presumptive condition? Yes for Gulf War veterans and former POWs held 30 days, no on the PACT Act burn pit list. Here is each route and its proof.
VA Secondary Conditions to IBS, over a photo of an older woman veteran at her kitchen table with a hand on her abdomen and medical paperwork in front of her

IBS

VA Secondary Conditions to IBS: The Practical Truth

VA secondary conditions to IBS include hemorrhoids, sphincter impairment, anemia and depression. See the codes, ratings and evidence each claim needs.
Banner-style image showing the text 'IBS Secondary to PTSD' on a dark blue panel, with a person reading documents at a desk in a dimly lit room.

IBS, PTSD

IBS Secondary to PTSD: VA Rating Criteria and Evidence

IBS secondary to PTSD: the three things the record must show, the 10, 20 and 30 percent criteria under DC 7319, and what a reasoned opinion includes.
PTSD VA Rating Articles
Guides to help you with any PTSD claim troubles.
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Banner-style image showing the text 'IBS Secondary to PTSD' on a dark blue panel, with a person reading documents at a desk in a dimly lit room.

IBS, PTSD

IBS Secondary to PTSD: VA Rating Criteria and Evidence

IBS secondary to PTSD: the three things the record must show, the 10, 20 and 30 percent criteria under DC 7319, and what a reasoned opinion includes.
Nexus letters for GERD secondary to PTSD: veteran pressing his chest in reflux pain at the dinner table

GERD, PTSD

How to prove your claim with a GERD Secondary to PTSD Nexus Letter

For many veterans, chronic heartburn is a direct result of living with PTSD, and the VA has a specific standard for proving that connection. Here is what actually works, and why a generic doctor's note usually falls short.
PTSD nexus letter example: a PTSD nexus letter on a desk with dog tags and a folded American flag

Nexus Letters, PTSD

PTSD Nexus Letter Example: What One Actually Looks Like

This article walks you through exactly what goes into a strong letter, gives you a real sample you can reference, and explains what separates a letter that helps your claim from one that quietly buries it.
Tinnitus VA Rating Articles
Essential guides to help you understand Tinnitus VA ratings.
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Secondary conditions to tinnitus: veteran holding his ear against persistent ringing at night

Tinnitus

The Most Common Secondary Conditions to Tinnitus

The most common secondary conditions to tinnitus, how VA rates each one, and the medical evidence an opinion needs to connect them to your ears.
VA claims for migraines secondary to tinnitus: veteran pressing his temple in pain at his desk

Migraines, Tinnitus

Nexus Letter for Migraines Secondary to Tinnitus: How to Prove the Link

Tinnitus caps out at 10 percent, but the migraines it triggers can be rated up to 50 percent. Here is how veterans build the medical evidence VA needs to connect the two, and what separates a letter that gets a claim granted from one that gets ignored.
Nexus letters for sleep apnea secondary to tinnitus: veteran asleep wearing a CPAP mask in bed

Sleep Apnea, Tinnitus

Nexus Letter for Sleep Apnea Secondary to Tinnitus: What Veterans Should Know

Ringing ears and restless nights aren't a coincidence for a lot of veterans. Here's how the two conditions connect, and what it takes to prove that link to the VA.
GERD VA Rating Articles
Guides to help you with your GERD VA Claims.
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VA secondary conditions to GERD: a veteran having her throat examined for reflux damage

GERD

VA Secondary Conditions to GERD: What Can Be Claimed

The conditions GERD can cause or worsen, the diagnostic codes that rate them, and the evidence a secondary claim has to show.
GERD secondary to sleep apnea, beside a CPAP machine

GERD, Sleep Apnea

GERD Secondary to Sleep Apnea: How the VA Looks at the Link

GERD secondary to sleep apnea: the two medical mechanisms, the 38 CFR 3.310 standard, and the DC 7206 rating criteria after the 2024 rewrite.
Woman sits at a dining table clutching her chest in discomfort, with a plate of food in front and 'GERD VA Rating' text overlaid.

GERD

GERD VA Rating: What DC 7206 Requires

How a GERD VA rating is set: stricture findings, swallowing problems and the treatment your records show.
Sleep Apnea VA Rating Articles
Useful guides to help you understand how the VA sees Sleep Apnea.
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GERD secondary to sleep apnea, beside a CPAP machine

GERD, Sleep Apnea

GERD Secondary to Sleep Apnea: How the VA Looks at the Link

GERD secondary to sleep apnea: the two medical mechanisms, the 38 CFR 3.310 standard, and the DC 7206 rating criteria after the 2024 rewrite.
Sleep Apnea VA Rating, over a photo of a tired veteran sitting on the edge of his bed at night beside a CPAP machine

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea VA Rating: What 0, 30, 50 and 100 Require

The sleep apnea VA rating is 0, 30, 50 or 100 percent under diagnostic code 6847. What each level requires, what CPAP proves, and the change VA proposed.
Nexus letters for sleep apnea secondary to tinnitus: veteran asleep wearing a CPAP mask in bed

Sleep Apnea, Tinnitus

Nexus Letter for Sleep Apnea Secondary to Tinnitus: What Veterans Should Know

Ringing ears and restless nights aren't a coincidence for a lot of veterans. Here's how the two conditions connect, and what it takes to prove that link to the VA.
Nexus Letter Articles
Essential guides to help you understand nexus letters and what they do.
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PTSD nexus letter example: a PTSD nexus letter on a desk with dog tags and a folded American flag

Nexus Letters, PTSD

PTSD Nexus Letter Example: What One Actually Looks Like

This article walks you through exactly what goes into a strong letter, gives you a real sample you can reference, and explains what separates a letter that helps your claim from one that quietly buries it.
Nexus Letter, Medical Evidence for VA Claims, over a photo of a medical opinion folder, stethoscope, and pen on a desk

Nexus Letters

Nexus Letter: What It Is and How VA Weighs Evidence

Understand what a nexus letter can and cannot show, who may write one, and how VA weighs the medical reasoning alongside the rest of the record.
Examples of VA nexus letters: a signed medical nexus letter on a clipboard beside a pen on a desk

Nexus Letters

Examples of VA Nexus Letters: What They Look Like and Why They Matter

A denied VA claim often comes down to one missing piece of evidence. Learn what strong examples of VA nexus letters look like — and how to use one to finally get the service connection you've earned.
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